The present invention relates to an improved velocity responsive lighting system which provides for the periodic energizing of a plurality of warning lights in sequence for a period determined by the velocity of the vehicle. More particularly, the present invention relates to a lighting system having a plurality of warning lights controlled by a plurality of magnetically responsive switch means and a plurality of magnetic field generating means, both of which are mounted on the vehicle so that one plurality passes in the vicinity of the other to periodically actuate the switch means causing the warning lights to be energized in sequence.
Vehicle lighting systems, particularly for bicycles, operable from batteries or a small generator operable with the rim or tire of a bicycle are known in the art. These known lighting systems usually include a rearwardly illuminating warning or tail light to indicate the presence of the vehicle to following vehicles. In darkness, the tail or warning light is effective to indicate to following vehicles that some object, either moving or stationary, lies ahead or in the path of the following vehicle. Unless the forwardly illuminating lighting system of the following vehicle can illuminate the vehicle having the tail or warning light, or unless the vehicle having the warning light is moving in an erratic path, the following vehicle may not be able to readily determine whether the vehicle ahead is in fact moving, and if so, the relative velocity of that vehicle. In many instances, particularly where the following vehicle is travelling at a high velocity with respect to the vehicle ahead, a constant warning light is insufficient to provide adequate time to stop the following vehicle upon the operator determining that the vehicle ahead is not moving or is moving at a slower velocity relative to the velocity of the following vehicle.
Attempts have been made to alleviate the failure of the tail or warning right to indicate whether a vehicle has been halted or, if moving, to indicate the relative speed of the vehicle. In each attempt known to me, a contact switch device employing a disc adjacent the hub of a wheel or mounted on the spokes of a wheel acts in conjunction with one or more wipers to form a periodic or interrupting switch, or a star wheel is mounted to be rotated by the spokes of a wheel and attached to a rotary switch, to cause one or two rearwardly illuminating lamps to flash in accordance with the velocity of the vehicle. These known attempts at solving the problem soon become useless as the wipers or other contacting parts become worn, or the spokes or other parts of the vehicle utilized for the switching mechanisms become misaligned from wear, vibration or rough use of the vehicle. Particularly in the installation of the known devices in cycles, especially bicycles, the area in which the spokes and hubs or axles of the wheels are located are subjected to dust, mud and other contact-fouling elements which frequently result in erratic functioning or failure of a contact or wiping switch assembly. Hence, under conditions where warning lights are most needed, the switching arrangements of the known attempts are most likely to fail.